Episode 1

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Published on:

20th Jul 2025

Episode 1: “How I Fell Into CI (and Survived)”

If you’ve ever wondered how language teachers survive the messy switch to comprehensible input, this episode is your new teacher therapy.

Ready to level up your teaching this year? Join our Back-to-School Bootcamp for practical CI strategies, fresh ideas, and real talk: https://imim.us/bootcamp

In Episode 1, How I Fell Into CI (and Survived), I’m joined by Jodi Dinsmore and Paulino Brener as we spill all the awkward, hilarious, and downright relatable stories about discovering comprehensible input — from our “Before CI” flops to our first breakthroughs and the survival tricks that kept us going. Whether you’re new to CI or need a reminder that messy starts are normal, you’ll laugh, nod along, and leave ready to tackle your own CI journey with confidence.

#comprehensibleinput, #languagelearning, #CIteaching, #worldlanguage, #teachlanguages, #CIpodcast, #languageacquisition, #languageeducator, #Krashen, #backtoschool

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Got thoughts or your own story? Share it in the comments or tag us @ImmediateImmersion!

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👉 Watch LIVE or replay on YouTube: https://imim.us/live

👉 Listen on your favorite podcast app:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comprehend-this/id1825484074

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zvVcKIabAamzwF0rt9qux?si=69cd4d7eb3f54e9c

👉 Never miss an episode: https://imim.us/comprehendthis

Connect with Scott:

Host: Scott Benedict — Immediate Immersion

🌐 https://immediateimmersion.com

📧 Scott@immediateimmersion.com

📱 @immediateimmersion

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About the Podcast

Comprehend THIS!
Real talk for real language teachers—because comprehension isn't optional.
Welcome to Comprehend THIS!, the podcast for language teachers who are tired of the same old textbook chatter and want the real talk instead.

Every episode is like pulling up a chair in the copy room or leaning on the hallway wall at your favorite conference — except it’s not awkward, the coffee’s better (yours, not mine), and nobody’s grading you.

Host Scott Benedict sits down with 1–2 guests — teachers, trainers, authors, CI rebels — to swap stories about what actually works in a comprehension-based classroom.

We talk the good, the weird, the messy middle — first wins, facepalms, reading that actually sticks, grammar without drills, surviving department side-eyes, grading for real proficiency (without losing your mind), and everything in between.

It’s casual. It’s honest. It’s LIVE — so you get all the “did they just say that?” moments, unfiltered.

Pull up your favorite mug. Laugh, nod along, steal an idea or two for Monday, and remember: you’re not the only one doing it different — and doing it better.

Watch LIVE: Sunday mornings at 8am Pacific / 11am Eastern, on YouTube at youtube.com/@immediateimmersion — or listen soon after on your favorite podcast app.

Comprehend THIS! — Real talk for real teachers. Ditch the drills. Trust the process. Stay human.

About your host

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Scott Benedict

Scott Benedict has been teaching Spanish since 2001—which means he’s survived more textbook adoptions, curriculum rewrites, and “revolutionary” teaching fads than he cares to count. He runs Immediate Immersion and hosts the Comprehend THIS! Podcast, where he tells the truth about teaching with comprehensible input: the good, the bad, and the “did that student just say tengo queso again?”

After two decades in the classroom, Scott knows what actually works (spoiler: not conjugation charts) and isn’t afraid to say it out loud. On the podcast, he dives into CI strategies, teacher survival hacks, and the occasional story that will make you question your career choices—but in a good way.

When he’s not recording or coaching teachers, you’ll find him traveling, taking photos, or wandering yet another zoo because apparently, one giraffe enclosure is never enough.

Comprehend THIS! is equal parts professional growth and comic relief—because let’s be honest, if we don’t laugh about teaching, we’ll cry.